DNA

DNA stands for deoxyribose nucleic acid

This chemical substance is present in the nucleus

of all cells in all living organisms
DNA controls all the chemical changes which
take place in cells
The kind of cell which is formed, (muscle, blood,
nerve etc) is controlled by DNA
The kind of organism which is produced (buttercup,
giraffe, herring, human etc) is controlled by DNA
DNA molecule

DNA is a very large molecule made up of a long

chain of sub-units
The sub-units are called nucleotides

Each nucleotide is made up of

a sugar called deoxyribose
a phosphate group -PO4 and
an organic base
Ribose & deoxyribose

Ribose is a sugar, like glucose, but with only five

carbon atoms in its molecule
Deoxyribose is almost the same but lacks one
oxygen atom
Both molecules may be represented by the symbol
The bases

The most common organic bases are

Adenine (A)

Thymine (T)

Cytosine (C)

Guanine (G)
Nucleotides

The deoxyribose, the phosphate and one of the bases

Combine to form a nucleotide

PO4
adenine

deoxyribose
Joined nucleotides

PO4

A molecule of
PO4 DNA is formed
by millions of
nucleotides
PO4
joined together
in a long chain
PO4

sugar-phosphate + bases
backbone
In fact, the DNA usually consists of a double
strand of nucleotides

The sugar-phosphate chains are on the outside

and the strands are held together by chemical
bonds between the bases
2-stranded DNA
PO4
PO4

PO4
PO4

PO4 PO4

PO4
PO4

PO4
PO4

PO4
PO4

PO4
PO4

PO4
PO4
Bonding 1

The bases always pair up in the same way

Adenine forms a bond with Thymine

Adenine Thymine

and Cytosine bonds with Guanine

Cytosine Guanine
Bonding 2

PO4
PO4
adenine thymine

PO4
PO4
cytosine guanine

PO4
PO4

PO4
PO4
The paired strands are coiled into a spiral called

A DOUBLE HELIX
THE DOUBLE
HELIX
bases

sugar-phosphate
chain
replication

Before a cell divides, the DNA strands unwind

and separate
Each strand makes a new partner by adding
the appropriate nucleotides
The result is that there are now two double-
stranded DNA molecules in the nucleus

So that when the cell divides, each nucleus

contains identical DNA
This process is called replication
 PO4
PO4 The strands
separate PO4
PO4

PO4 PO4

PO4 PO4

PO4
PO4

PO4
PO4

PO4
PO4

PO4
PO4
 Each strand builds up its partner by adding
the appropriate nucleotides
PO4 PO4
PO4 PO4

PO4 PO4
PO4
PO4

PO4 PO4
PO4 PO4

PO4 PO4 PO4

PO4

PO4 PO4
PO4 PO4

PO4 PO4
PO4
PO4

PO4 PO4
PO4 PO4

PO4 PO4
PO4
PO4